How to Apply Shingles
Whether you are building a new shed or re-roofing your house, properly applying shingles is one of the most important parts of protecting the roof from wind and water damage. Shingles reduce the flow of moisture on the wooden surface of the roof, preventing rot. Although there are some safety concerns that must be accommodated, in general, most do-it-yourself handymen can handle the shingling process. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tar paper
- Roofing tacks
- Utility knife
- Asphalt shingles
- Roofing nails
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Instructions
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Roll the tar paper along the roof, starting from the bottom corner. Roll the paper horizontally along the low edge of the roof, and use roofing tacks to secure the paper in place. Trim the edge of the tar paper with a utility blade at the vertical edge of the roof.
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Finish applying the tar paper to the entire roof. Overlap each row of paper by 6 inches, with the higher layer on top of the lower layer, so that water cannot leak through to the roof's wooden surface. At the peak of the roof, roll the paper over the peak and tack it on both sides of the peak.
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Lay the first row of shingles. Start at the bottom corner of the roof and lay the shingles horizontally. It is not necessary to overlap the shingles. Trim any extra length at the vertical edge of the roof and use this piece to start the second row of shingles.
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Tear off the plastic protecting the shingle's glue strip from the shingles on the first row.
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Lay the next row of shingles. Overlap them so that the colored portion of the shingle completely covers the noncolored portion of the shingle below it. Use roofing nails to affix the shingle into position. Stagger the shingles so that seams do not overlap with the layer below.
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Continue adding rows of shingles until you reach the peak of the roof.
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Trim shingles vertically into smaller pieces so that you have a pile of trimmed shingles as wide as one width of a colored section. Use these over the peak of the roof, nailing the trimmed shingle on both sides of the peak. Overlap them so the black portion is covered.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider using aluminum flashing along the roof edges to protect the edge of the roof against high winds or moisture. Use trimmed sections of shingle along dormer windows and other breaks in the roof line to protect joints from moisture damage.
Always observe proper safety procedures---use stabilized ladders and consider a rope suspension system on steeply pitched roofs.
References
- Photo Credit wood shingle pattern image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
